APOSTLE
Brit director Gareth Evans built his rep on Indonesian actioner The Raid (2011) and its sequel. Four years on from the latter, he’s back, and on no-less spectacular form with Apostle. A twisted, Netflix-produced horror, it’s a cult-centred story that seems destined for cult status. Set in 1905, it stars Dan Stevens as Thomas Richardson, a prodigal son who renews family ties when he sets out to find his missing sister, Jennifer (Elen Rhys), who has been abducted by a mysterious cult based on a remote island; Thomas’ plan is to infiltrate their ranks then save his sibling.
The isolated group is led by a self-appointed prophet named Malcolm (Michael Sheen, with a face as severe as his haircut), and it’s only a matter of time before Thomas finds out just how weird life is on the isle, where books from the mainland are banned. Spending his nights stealthily gathering information, he witnesses a woman being forced to cut her arm and drain blood into a receptacle – a bizarre ritual expected of all newcomers.
In the first half, Evans gradually cranks up the tension, centred mostly
on whether Thomas will be revealed as an interloper. But there are further secrets to be unpicked, as young lovers enjoy covert assignations and animals are born onto the island in mangled form. As Thomas discovers, not everyone appears so keen on this devout lifestyle – take, for example, Andrea (Lucy Boynton), who also happens to be Malcolm’s daughter.
Moreover, this apparently utopian community is in dire straits, with failing crops causing consternation. If that’s a direct nod to Robin Hardy’s iconic The Wicker Man, Evans doesn’t follow up with any giant flaming effigies. Instead, he ventures into fantastical territory with enough ‘eww’ factor to satiate most gore hounds (anyone squeamish about eyes really needs to look away for one scene).
As the aforementioned bloodletting hints, Evans’ film is awash with the red stuff. An early scene, in which a government spy/assassin gets stabbed with several spears, sets the brutal tone, while fingers get wrenched and flesh is torn in an increasingly grisly final act. Extra thrust is also added by the power play between Malcolm and his associate Quinn (Mark Lewis Jones).
Stevens compels as the disenchanted missionary with the scars to prove it, while Sheen is superb. At over two hours, however, it could arguably do with a trim; some subplots weave an overly tangled web.
But as the main thread reaches its climax, Evans hits full flow, with as many bruising and bloody body blows as The Raid. This is one cult worth offering yourself to. James Mottram